We Will Be Together Again
by The Quill of Gryffindor
Summary: Voldemort has been defeated, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived has won…or has he? An emotionally distraught Harry makes a decision which has repercussions. Sort of a Romeo and Juliet esk story. Has offically been completed. Once you have finished this story, I direct you to its sequel 'Rebirth: A Second Chance.'
1. Chapter 1

_**We Will Be Together Again…**_

**Chapter One: There Was Never a Story of Greater Woe...**

Hello my loyal fans!

After originally writing this story, I went back and tore it apart, making it much longer and taking the time to really look into what was happening with the characters and such. When I read it back, I was so annoyed with it I spent ages making it as good as I could make it.

I hope this meets which your expectations!

I will now step aside and present Chapter One!

* * *

As the curse was forced back into his wand, he could see only one emotion on Riddle's face: fear. As the green light touched the tip of his wand, it exploded into a wide array of colours, throwing back the dark lord with sheer force. His body sailed through the air before landing with a thud, unmoving.

Voldemort was dead; killed by his own rebounding curse.

Harry stood transfixed, staring down at his enemy's empty shell. His wands were still pointed at the monster's body, perhaps waiting for him to spring up and begin cursing once more. After a few moments, his hand fell to his sides and he whispered quietly.

"It's over…it's really over."

For a moment, silence permeated the grounds. All fighting had stopped as they watched the end of the amazing duel, and now, as their leader failed to rise; many death eaters began to flee. They were caught easily by the victorious freedom fighters.

All of a sudden, the grounds of Hogwarts exploded with yells and cheers of celebration, filling the air with a tumultuous roar. The people rushed forward and surrounded the 'Boy Who Lived', determined to touch the reason it was all over.

Forcing a smile, he shook hands, hugged crying witches and wizards, all the while looking for the one person he wanted to see. After a few minutes, he saw her. As their eyes met, she ran forward and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I knew you could do it Harry." Hermione said softly. As he held her, a tear fell down his cheek in sadness.

"Thank you Hermione." She pulled back and smiled, but frowned slightly when she saw his distraught face.

"Harry; are you alright?" She asked tenderly. Before he could give an answer, he was swept by the victorious people into the Great Hall for a celebration dinner.

For the first time in centuries, students sat together at the four tables, regardless of house affiliation. Even the teachers joined them all down on the benches, all celebrating the fall of the most infamous dark lord in history.

While the people surrounding him enjoyed their victory, Harry sat almost in silence, only speaking when someone addressed him directly. His answers were short and to the point, cutting any conversation down to the bare minimum.

His mind could not accept that it was over. His very purpose for being was over and he was left feeling hollow and empty. Slowly, while he isolated himself from everyone except his thoughts, his anger began to build and build. From the outside, his face began to twitch and his eyes burned with a mixture of confusion and anger.

However, the people around him did not notice, too focused on the current celebration and the feelings of euphoria from Voldemort's death. As his mind burned internally, he was dragged back into reality by a misplaced question from his best friend.

"Hey mate, why aren't you celebrating?" He asked cheerfully. Harry's eye gave a massive twitch before he answered.

"Why am I not celebrating?" He whispered, his voice laced with anger. The people around him went silent. "I am not celebrating because THERE IS NOTHING TO CELEBRATE!"

Beginning as a whisper, his voice grew into a roar which made the entire Great Hall fall silent in surprise and shock. As he finished the last word, he stood and slammed his hands down on the table.

"You know, I thought, I genuinely thought that after he was dead it would be different." He punctuated the comment with a cold, humourless laugh. "But it's not. This war, this fucking nightmare, which for me has been going on since the night my parents died, simply refuses to end." He began to cry and looked around at everyone.

"You're all laughing and celebrating, glad it's finally over but I can't celebrate. Why can't I? WHY THE FUCK CAN'T I FEEL HAPPY AND JOYFUL THAT THE BASTARD IS DEAD?!" He shouted. "I've given up more than any of you for this fucking war, so why can't I be happy, why can't I live my life without this shadow hanging over my head?"

As his anger increased, his magic flared dangerously, causing the candles to flicker and a cold wind to blow through the hall. All the pent up rage he had, began to flow out through his magic and his words.

"My life has been shit. My mum and dad, murdered while I was a baby, forced to live with my relatives who hate magic and beat me daily because of it." The room gasped and he sneered. "Yeah, beat you didn't know that about your golden boy did you? No, people just labelled me an arrogant attention seeker without even getting to know me!" He shouted once more, tears pouring down his face.

"Then I get to Hogwarts and spent most of my time trying to stop Voldemort from coming back and save the school." He raked his hand through his hair. "You know, there are only a few good things that ever came from the wizarding world for me, and most of them have been taken away or are dead." He cried angrily.

"You know what, I'm sick of it. I'm sick of fighting for this dark, corrupt world, trying to save gullible, idiotic people who refuse to even try and help themselves, relying on a fucking child to fight for them!" He snarled.

"Well, I'm done. I'm done fighting for this world and its people. I'm done being a part of this world which has brought me nothing but pain, misery and anger." The room looked at him speechlessly. "I, am, DONE!"

As he finished the last word, he turned around and stormed out of the double doors leading out of the Great Hall. As he left, he pulled out his wand and cast a quiet spell as people tried to follow him. The doors slammed shut and sealed with a groan. Hermione was one of the people who had gone to follow him, and she tried frantically to open the doors.

"Please don't do anything stupid Harry." She pleaded quietly.

* * *

As he stormed out of the Great Hall, he muttered a quiet _Colloportus_ before making his way through the ruined castle. As he walked, his anger began to bleed away and he fell to his knees and cried. He could not understand all the injustice in his life.

Why had he been forced to live this life? Why couldn't he have just been _normal_? That was all he ever wanted; to live a normal peaceful life with his family and perhaps have a family of his own one day. People like Riddle and Dumbledore had stolen that from him and given him a life filled with hate, anger and destruction.

With a sigh, he pulled himself to his feet and stopped wandering aimlessly. He was tired; weak, miserable and tired. But he knew where he wanted to be at that moment. Harry began to make his way through the castle, climbing the many stairs to reach that place.

He was on a mission; his last mission.

* * *

After ten minutes of intense work, they finally lifted Harry's spell from the doors of the Great Hall. Even though it was a first year spell, he had reinforced it with so much magical power that it had become almost impossible to remove.

As they finished opening the doors, they all knew the distraught wizard was long gone. A few had entertained the idea of trying to locate him, but most felt he just needed some time to himself. Hermione, however, knew it was dangerous to let Harry brood for too long. As she began to leave the Great Hall, a hand caught her arm and held her slightly.

"Hermione, where are you going?" Ron asked with a smile. "Don't you want to celebrate?" She scowled at him and threw his arm off.

"Well, Ronald, I am going to find my best friend to see if he is alright, because that's what friends do for each other." She turned on her heel and walked out of the hall, leaving a bewildered Ron behind.

"Bloody mental, that one" He said to himself, shaking his head in confusion.

As she left the Great Hall, she pulled the one thing that could find him quickly out of her bead bag, holding it out in front of her.

"I solemnly swear, that I'm up to no good" she whispered, holding her wand to the map.

Almost immediately, the familiar writing appeared on the tattered parchment and she began to frantically search for her best friend. She relaxed slightly when she located the name 'Harry Potter' standing in the astronomy tower.

"Mischief managed." She said happily.

Glad she had found him, she set off. Hermione was determined to track down the missing wizard and help him as much as she could.

* * *

Harry James Potter stood silently in the astronomy tower, overlooking the grounds of Hogwarts. The view was a remarkable one. The ground was stained with the signs of battle and large patches of blood, but the rain and the sunrise created something astoundingly beautiful.

The rain seemed to cleanse the castle of the battle, washing away the pain and horror from the end of the war, while the slowly rising sun cast a bright and redeeming light on all that was left. It seemed to symbolise that all that had happened here, the terror and the tragedy, had given way for a sort of rebirth; a second chance.

Harry smiled as he watched the sun creep over the mountains. While he was still angry, this image of beauty before him gave him a sense of fulfilment. He had not accomplished his own dreams of having a family, but he had helped give birth to a new world in which life could hopefully be better for everyone than it had been. His sacrifices had not been in vain.

He took a deep breath and felt the bracing Scottish wind on his face. The faint drizzle made his cheeks burn slightly, but it reminded him he was still alive. As he stood there, his mind began to look back at the past few years.

It had been here, in the astronomy tower nearly a year ago, that he had been forced to watch the death of Albus Dumbledore; a man he used to revere and see as a role model. However, when he had met the man again in the faux King's Cross, he realised that he had been the puppet master in the nightmare that was his life. The man had begged forgiveness for his actions for the sake of 'the greater good'.

He had not been forgiven.

As far as Harry was concerned, the old man would not receive the closure he so desperately wanted and could burn in hell for all he cared. All the years of thinking that someone had been working against him had been confirmed in that moment.

He had been a weapon; the ultimate weapon against Voldemort, one who could feel sufficient compassion toward others that he would willingly risk his life to save them all. His life was completely orchestrated, like some real life Truman Show.

After he had returned, he felt livid. As his mind went over his life he realised that people who had shown him care and love were in fact placed there by the _venerable_ headmaster. The Weasley family for instance; all that love and affection Mrs Weasley smothered him with was so he had something to lose if he failed; a family to come back to if he succeeded.

Harry used that anger to defeat Voldemort. Rather than feeling sorry for himself, he diverted all his anguish, his hatred and his anger into his magic. He was determined to at least destroy one of the people who had ruined his life.

But as he watched the dark lord's body fall, all those emotions vanished. He had died. Even hatred and anger, be them horrible emotions, told him that he was _alive_, that he could still feel. But they were all gone.

"After all I've done, after all I've suffered, I am finally free from this sense of damned obligation, but I'm broken. I…I'm just dead." He began to cry.

"How is this fair? I give everything to save the world but I'm still trapped. Isn't the hero supposed to save the world, get the girl, and ride off into the sunset?" He growled in frustration.

"My life could never have ended like that." He sighed. He walked over to one of the wooden pillars, placing his cloak, his wand and a sealed letter down on the floor before moving back to the railing.

"Damn you Riddle and damn you Dumbledore…I'll see you in hell you bastards." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Just as he was going to make a move, a voice spoke bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Harry?"

* * *

As she began climbing the steps into the tower, she could hear a familiar male voice echoing softly. She smiled and began walking faster. However, as she was about to walk behind him, she caught his speech.

"After all I've done, after all I've suffered, I am finally free from this sense of damned obligation, but I'm broken. I…I'm just dead.

How is this fair? I give everything to save the world but I'm still trapped. Isn't the hero supposed to save the world, get the girl, and ride off into the sunset?

My life could never have ended like that.

Damn you Riddle and damn you Dumbledore…I'll see you in hell you bastards." She gasped inwardly as she realised what he was about to do. Her mind exploded into panic.

'No, no, not after all this, you can't!' She thought frantically. Taking a step forward, she decided to announce her presence.

"Harry?" Of all the responses she expected, she hadn't expected the one she got. Harry laughed warmly as she announced herself.

"Of course it would be you, Hermione. Loyal and faithful to the very end." He chuckled slightly. "Hermione Jane Granger, the only person who never left my side, my one and only constant in this stupid world." He gave a rattled sigh.

"I did promise that I would stay with you Harry; until the very end." She said softly. He still had his back turned, but she could tell he was smiling.

"That you did. But…" He paused "…your promise is nearing its end." She began to cry and took another step forward.

"Please Harry, please don't do this. Think about everyone you will leave behind who will miss you." Harry laughed coldly and span around.

"To be honest Hermione, I don't care. I am sick of this world and people who _pretend_ to care for me, but genuinely don't give a damn or are working for some…secret agenda.

"Harry, you can't mean that!" His expression suggested otherwise. "But there are so many of us who care for you, the real you." He looked pained and sighed.

"That's what I used to think. But I had a chat to someone who told me some interesting things about my life and the people in it. The list of people who care for me went down to a few, but went down to one when I discounted those who had…passed on." He sighed. "It just so happened to be the only person I even remotely care about in this world. But…I missed my chance. That ship has sailed…a long, long time ago." He finished tiredly.

"Who do you mean? Is it Ginny?" She asked. Harry laughed again.

"Ginny? Ginny doesn't give a damn about me. She has deluded herself with the image of the 'Boy Who Lived' that she can't see me." He paused. "No, the person I care for is much more worthy of my affections." He smiled.

"She's kind, she's funny, she's intelligent, she's caring, she's trusting, she's loyal, she's beautiful and she cares for me deeply – the real me." She ran various names through her mind, trying to find this individual but failed.

"I don't know who you mean Harry." She answered sadly. He blinked at her before smiling slightly.

"I know for a fact that you just ran lots of names through the super-computer that is your mind trying to find a match…all bar one." She looked confused.

He shook his head and took a step toward her. Placing his hand on the side of her face, he stroked her cheek with his thumb. With a smile, he leant forwards and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. It only lasted for a moment, before he broke it and held her cheek once more.

"You Hermione. There has never been anyone I care more about than you." Tears poured down her face while she was in a state of shock.

"But I know that you love Ron and he loves you too. I care for you so much; I only want you to be happy. You could never be happy with me." He sighed.

"But without you, there is nothing keeping me here. I know that you will be happy, which takes away my last reason for staying here." He smiled and turned back to the ledge. She snapped out of her shock and spoke to him quietly.

"Please don't Harry. We still need you…I still need you." She finished in a whisper. He stopped and turned back.

"No Hermione. You _never_ needed me…" He stroked her face gently "…I needed you." He held her cheeks and kissed her once more on the lips.

Fully aware of what was happening this time, she reacted and deepened the kiss. It lasted for a few minutes before Harry broke it. Her eyes were still closed, her mind trying to restart and he chuckled. He gave her a small smile before kissing her cheek.

"I love you, Hermione. Never forget that." Her eyes opened just in time to see her best friend smile at her, before falling back – following the path that Dumbledore's body took over the ledge of the astronomy tower.

Hermione stood frozen for a moment, her mind unable to comprehend what had happened. In a flash, she ran to the edge and looked down.

"HAAARRRY!" She screamed.

Her voice echoed around the grounds, repeating itself like a broken record. She stared unbelievingly at the small speck on the ground she recognised as Harry.

In the Great Hall, the conversation stopped almost immediately after hearing the distraught cry filtering through the walls. They rushed from their seats, almost at once, and ran to the scene of yesterday's battle.

Lying on the grass was a body. His eyes were closed and from the way his limbs were facing he might have been asleep. The blood trickling from his mouth told them otherwise. His chest was unmoving and his mouth closed.

Hermione, still staring down from the tower, could not believe it had happened. It seemed like a bad dream; a nightmare where she would wake up, finding Harry sitting next to her smiling comfortingly, asking what her dream was about.

Somewhere, in the deepest part of her mind, a single voice spoke out silencing the others all arguing together.

'He's gone.' It finally dawned on her that he was dead.

The people below the tower were transfixed by the body of their hero. In the midst of the crowd, Minerva McGonagall took a few steps forward, her face white and ashen, staring at her young lion's body. Tears began to fall down her wrinkled face as she thought back to his words in the Great Hall.

"_Well, I'm done. I'm done fighting for this world and its people. I'm done being a part of this world which has brought me nothing but pain, misery and anger."_

She hadn't realised he had meant it literally. She hadn't seen it coming, none of them had. It seemed obvious now, looking at it in hindsight that he may have been emotionally unbalanced, but to go as far as ending his life…she blinked the tears from her eyes and sighed.

Hermione broke her gaze from her best friend's lifeless body and pulled herself to her feet. Tears pouring down her face, she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the sky. With a quiet sob, a beautiful white light began pulsing from her wand, lighting the early morning sky.

Their eyes shot upwards as they watched the light shining from the tower, staring at the lone figure standing by the ledge of the astronomy tower. With a silent nod, Minerva withdrew her wand from its holster and aimed it skyward, a similar glow of light joining hers in the sky.

The other witches and wizards slowly, one by one, copied the actions of the two witches and soon the grounds of Hogwarts were filled with a bright display of white magic; a salute to one of the greatest wizards they had ever known.

As they began their salute, the sun finally completed its full ascent above the mountains and seemed to join their gesture, its bright rays making the magic glow ever brighter. Dropping her wand to her side, Minerva moved forward to the body and fell to her knees. Leaning forward, she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and whispered.

"I'm so sorry Harry." Letting lose a small sob, she rose to her feet and conjured a stretcher, levitating his lifeless body onto it, before carrying it back inside the school.

Eventually, the witches and wizards standing in the grounds filtered back inside the school, leaving the battlefield almost deserted.

Finally letting her wand fall to her side, Hermione stood in silence, letting her mind catch up with all that had occurred. She fell to her knees as a wave of pure sadness and anguish broke free from her mind. She screamed in pain, crying as she yelled her throat sore. Only one thought was filtering through her mind at that moment:

He was dead.

From the day he had saved her from a troll in the girl's bathroom, she had always been there for her friend, standing by him, helping any way she could. She felt lost. Similarly to Harry, she felt their relationship to have been the one constant over the years. Without him…she didn't know what to do.

She couldn't help but feel as though she failed him. He was obviously filled with turmoil and pain and she hadn't seen what it would lead to. Not only that, she had missed his feelings for her completely, never even having inkling that he loved her.

As the wave of sadness passed, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye; a small pile of items next to a wooden pillar. She crawled over and lifted the pile into her lap. He had placed his cloak, his wand and a sealed letter there before he fell.

She ran her hand across the smooth material of the cloak and smiled as memories came flooding back. All the times they had snuck out under the cloak over the years and the adventures they had together. She laughed when she recalled that at the end, their feet stuck out when she and Harry had used it.

She picked up his wand, holding it reverently as she ran her hand across it. As she touched the handle, she felt a burst of warmth that made her shiver. As she held the items, she felt closer to her best friend, even if it was only an illusion.

Finally, she lifted the letter from the envelope, turning it to read who it was for. Her breath caught in her throat when she read 'To Hermione' written in Harry's untidy scrawl. Gently breaking the seal, she pulled the parchment out with shaking hands.

_My Dearest Hermione,_

_While I have a feeling I may see you one last time before I end my mission, I have written this to wholly explain my seemingly desperate actions._

_As you probably know, life for me has been difficult. The constant threats of Voldemort teamed with Dumbledore's manipulations have left me a shadow of the person I was in first year. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your raven haired friend with the lightning bolt scar died long before today._

_I could spend this letter pointing the finger at people I blame for my miserable life, but I won't. This letter is about you, for you. While I can't force myself to care about the majority of people in my life anymore, I feel as though I owe you an explanation. After all you have done for me, you deserve that much._

_I didn't get a chance to tell you this, but when Riddle tried to kill me during the battle, my mind went somewhere. To me, it looked like King's Cross Station, but that is irrelevant right now. While I was there, I met Headmaster Dumbledore and spoke to him._

_My life was a lie Hermione; one big setup from the night my parents died. It was all orchestrated and written out before me. I was just an actor in the play that was my life. He did this for one simple reason: the prophecy. He knew Voldemort would return and needed a way to kill him. I was that way._

_He groomed me into the ultimate weapon; a person that was willing to sacrifice his life for the benefit of others. The majority of the people in my life were there to make sure I followed the set path left for me. Only a few were there because they cared for me and wanted to be there. You were one of those people._

_Hermione, my heart demands that I write this despite knowing the pain it will cause you. During my years at Hogwarts, my heart always belonged to you. _

_When we met on the train, I could see something, sense something which made you stand out. At that moment, I knew you were special. It took me a few years to decipher those feelings into something I could understand. _

_I love you, so very much. There were so many times I simply wanted to march straight up to you and tell you the truth, but my mind wouldn't allow it. I was afraid of pushing you away. Had I told you and was rejected; I couldn't bear the thought of you not being in my life. _

_When I finally gained the courage to tell you, it was too late. I saw feelings between you and Ron probably before you even knew it yourselves. Contrary to my own feelings, I wasn't going to come between you like that. _

_When he left during the horcrux hunt, part of me wanted to show you how I felt and try to steal you from Ron when I saw how upset he made you. But when I saw you kiss in the final battle…well, I knew I had lost. I had missed my chance a long time ago._

_There is only one thing I care about right now and that is you. All I want is to see you happy in your life. But I realised that I couldn't be the one to make you happy. You were the last link tying me to this world. Without you, there was nothing keeping me here._

_However, I don't want you to believe that my death was by any measure your fault. I was never meant to survive Dumbledore's mission. This war scarred me. After all the pain in my life I couldn't feel any more without ending my life prematurely. _

_When Sirius died, all I felt was pain and sadness. It killed me. My mind was stripped of my emotions. But feeling nothing is maddening. At least when you feel pain and anger, you know you are alive. But when there is nothing? _

_When I came back from King's Cross I felt so angry and frustrated. My humanity came back for a small amount of time. I used that to defeat Riddle. Dumbledore had never planned for me to survive my mission; therefore he didn't need to think about any of the possible repercussions this could have._

_My love for my true family forced me onward. Despite my mind slipping away I pushed forward, desperate to finish everything before I lost my mind. My life was one endless war; a war which I was destined to finish alone. I won. I won the war but lost myself as a result._

_I have completed the task that was set out for me during my life. But with my mission's end, I realise I cannot stay here. I am a product of the war and have no place in this new world. I hope that my sacrifice has not been in vain._

_I feel as though there is so much more I want to say, but my mind is tired. I hope this is enough to explain why I have decided to end my life. My heart aches for the day when we will meet again. _

_I will wait for you Hermione. I love you, always and forever._

_Harry James Potter_

_P.S. I have left you my cloak, my wand and the marauder's map since the Potter line ends with me. Use them well. I have destroyed the elder wand and I lost the stone. Please do not go looking for it._

As she finished the letter, her tears splashed on the parchment and her hands shook with grief and sadness. He had meant this letter as an explanation, but it raised more questions than answers. She reread the letter again and again, trying to gleam everything she could from it.

'He loved me; right up until the end he loved me.' She thought in despair.

Tears poured down her face and she wailed once more. As she cried, she felt a hand gently touch her shoulder. Picking up Harry's belongings, she threw the hand off and stormed out of the tower, leaving a confused Ron.

"Hermione! Hermione wait!" He began to give chase, only to see that she had disappeared. With a sigh, he wandered back to the Great Hall, passing a distraught Hermione under Harry's invisibility cloak.

* * *

Ta da! Chapter One!

I really hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! This story is a feather in my cap, I think.

Please read on! Oh, and do please review! I like to know what you think!

**This is the Quill, signing off!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: …Than That of Juliet and her Romeo**

Hello my loyal fans!

This little note from me at the beginning will only be short today. I haven't actually got much to say. I would like to thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing! Its good to hear that so many of you were enjoying this! I'm glad I could bring tears to your eyes!

If the last one made you cry, then read on! I'm sure you will enjoy!

Without further ado, I give you chapter two!

* * *

_She watched in terror as he stepped towards the ledge of the tower, smiling warmly at her, a twinkle in his eye. _

_She desperately tried to move or say something but it felt as though she was under a body bind spell. She looked pleadingly at him, but he just smiled and took another step back._

"_I love you, Hermione. Never forget that." As he finished the last word, he fell backwards off the edge of the tower. Able to move again, she ran forward, desperate to try and stop him._

"_HAAARRRY!" She screamed._

She sat bolt upright in bed, covered in a thin film of cold sweat, panting breathlessly. She began to cry in her hands, shaking from the memory of her friend's death.

It had been three days since her best friend had committed suicide, but during those three days the nightmares were vivid and torturous. Every time she would watch him approach the edge, while she was powerless to stop him.

She forced her emotions under control and looked around the room. While the majority of the students had gone home to celebrate with their families, she had stayed behind along with a few others, waiting for the funerals.

Since her parents were still living in Australia with no knowledge of their daughter, she had nowhere to go. Of course, Mrs Weasley had told her that she could live with them at the Burrow, but she had politely declined. Hermione wanted to keep a distance from Ron for the time being.

Accepting Minerva's offer to stay at Hogwarts, she decided to live in the girl's dormitory in Gryffindor Tower. However, she had been unable to sleep at all, lying awake at night thinking about her dead friend, or having painful nightmares.

As she lay wide-awake, she thought of all the times she had seen Harry sleeping and smiled. He always looked very peaceful, even if he was in the hospital wing. Suddenly, she had a thought. Getting out of bed, she made her way down to the common room. Seeing no one around, she crept to the boy's dormitory and climbed the stairs.

After talking to Minerva the day before, she had found out that there were no Gryffindors staying in the tower, having all opted to go home. She walked into the small dormitory and looked around. Her eyes immediately fell upon one bed; Harry's bed. Taking a step closer, she saw the faded bronze plate with the words 'Harry James Potter' engraved on it.

She climbed onto it and snuggled down under the blanket. After a moment, she began to cry, thinking about Harry lying dead in the Chapel outside. However, as she sobbed, she suddenly felt a very warming embrace wrap around her.

She sat up and looked around; the room was empty. With a sniff, she settled back down, the warm feeling never leaving her. As she began to fall asleep, she was sure she felt a hand running across her forehead and through her hair.

"_Don't worry Hermione. Just sleep."_

Hermione woke up the next morning with a large smile on her face. With a big stretch and a yawn, she sat up and looked around. The room was still empty. Her smile faded as the memories of the past few days crept up on her. Her eyes began to fill with tears, so she wiped them and stood up, determined to distract herself for a while.

Since most of the clothes she had from the horcrux hunt were ruined, Minerva had retrieved her trunk so she could wear those clothes for the time being. When the death eaters had attacked Fleur and Bill's wedding, she had abandoned her trunk, having transferred everything of value into her bead bag.

After showering, she pulled on some muggle clothes and made her way into the common room. It was so quiet. She was not used to the room being empty, without so many familiar faces. Her tears threatened to return, so she left the room and headed down to the Great Hall.

As she entered the hall, she noticed a few people all sitting at the Gryffindor table, chatting quietly. Most of them were teachers, with a few students mixed in. However, she did not recognise any of them personally. As she came to sit down, Professor McGonagall smiled at her warmly.

"Good morning Hermione. How are you feeling?" She smiled and took a seat.

"Much better, thank you for asking." Minerva was relieved to see in her face that she had at last gotten some sleep. "How are you feeling?" She grimaced slightly.

"It's…difficult. Having to organise a funeral for all these people that you knew…it's painful." Hermione nodded sympathetically.

For the past three days, the bodies of the dead had been placed into a specially built structure on the grounds, named the Chapel, for those who wanted to pay their respects. Each day, they would hold a wake for those who had died, before burying them the next day. While the staff had been holding burials and wakes for numerous people on the same day, it had been decided that Harry's wake would be on its own day.

Today was the day of his wake.

She had been dreading it since the day he had died. Hermione hadn't been able to go see his body in the Chapel because she was terrified. It seemed so unreal. She couldn't bear going to see the body because it would finally be confirmed. Harry was dead. She was pulled back from her thoughts by Minerva speaking.

"Hermione; we will be holding Harry's wake this afternoon." A tear fell down her cheek and she nodded sadly.

"Don't worry. I'll be there." She said softly. The professor nodded and stood up, walking out of the Great Hall. Before she could get far, Hermione followed her.

"Professor?" She turned around to face her student. "I was wondering…for Harry's wake…" She pulled out the letter he had written, holding it out to her. "…if you would want to read this. He left it behind, before he…" She paused, tears filling her eyes. Minerva took it gently and read the name on the envelope.

"Hermione; are you sure you want me to read this today? He wrote it to you. Don't you want it to be kept private?" Hermione smiled and sniffed slightly.

"The letter explains his actions. While it is quite personal, I want to share his words with all of them. They deserve to know part of his decision." The professor nodded sympathetically.

"Thank you Hermione. I'm sure they will all be grateful you did." She smiled and walked back to the hall for breakfast.

* * *

In the Great Hall, the tables and benches had been removed, replaced instead with rows and rows of seats. Every seat was filled, with nearly two hundred people all sitting waiting for the wake of Harry Potter.

Where the staff table usually stood, a clear class coffin sat upon an altar. It was surrounded by a bright display of pictures, courtesy of Colin Creevey. They were mostly from the early days in his life, taken after Quidditch games and during the Triwizard Tournament.

Harry's corpse, dressed in a set of formal black dress robes, lay on a bed of Gryffindor red velvet. Many people had contributed various things to place in his coffin, the most prominent of which was a silver sword and a medal.

As a sign of respect and admiration for the deceased wizard, the Goblins of Gringrotts had given them back the Sword of Godric Gryffindor to place in his coffin, despite him having broken into their bank and releasing one of their dragons. Furthermore, the ministry of magic, under a new minister, had decided to award him the Order of Merlin; First Class for his contributions in the war.

The room was filled with people talking to one another, sharing memories and stories about the wizard. After a few minutes, Professor McGonagall stood up, moved toward the headmaster's plinth and the room fell silent.

"Thank you. I understand that this past week has been extremely emotional and difficult for all of us.

"With the death of Voldemort and the fall of his pureblood regime, we have, once again been left picking up the pieces from their wave of destruction. We lost a great many people, all of whom bravely stood up and fought against evil.

"We are here to remember one man in particular, who gave his everything to fight against the forces of darkness and helped give us a new dawn.

"Harry James Potter was a shining example to all of us. During his short life, he did more to combat the evil that was Voldemort than many of us have done in our entire lives. Despite struggling against impossible odds, he brought us victory from the jaws of defeat.

"However, in order to help us defeat evil, he destroyed himself, not physically, but emotionally. He sacrificed his heart, his very humanity to save us all.

"In the end, after living through the horrors of his life, he was driven to suicide. However, we must not mourn his loss or lament his passing; with his death, he has been released to join his loved ones in the afterlife." Hermione's bottom lip trembled as she said the last words.

"Thanks to Ms Granger, I have a letter which he wrote to her, in order to explain the actions which lead to his death." Minerva glanced at Hermione and she nodded in assent. "Despite its personal nature, Ms Granger has given me permission to read it in its entirety."

Some of the people in the hall looked at her while murmuring, before giving their attention back to Minerva McGonagall. Producing the envelope from her robes, she carefully removed the letter and unfolded it.

"_My Dearest Hermione…"_

During the next few minutes, the aged professor related the letter's contents to the entire congregation in the hall. Most of the people began to cry anew as they listened to the heart wrenching letter. Those who had heard his speech in the Great Hall before he had committed suicide were able to understand it and cried in sorrow for Harry Potter.

As she read the letter, Ron listened, completely shocked by what he was hearing. Harry had cared for Hermione, no, he had _loved_ Hermione. He gave up everything to make her happy.

He glanced over to Hermione and studied her expression. She sat with her eyes closed, listening to the letter with a large smile and tears running down her face.

As she opened them, he caught her gaze. She loved Harry back; he could see it reflected in her glazed eyes. Turning away from her, he listened to the end of the letter. As it finished, he began to re-evaluate his feelings.

Did he really love Hermione?

Scanning his memories for answers he noticed a recurring theme. He had always seen Harry _with _Hermione. That was why he wanted her. His jealous mind wanted to beat the 'Boy Who Lived' at something.

Winning Hermione was his chance to best Harry Potter. Looking back through his memories, he realised that he didn't care about Hermione in the slightest…not in a romantic sense anyway. She was a friend, nothing more.

Thanks to his childish jealousy, his best friend was lying dead in that coffin. He burst into tears and sat his head in his hands, crying in self-pity.

As Minerva read Harry's letter, Hermione was able to hear it anew. She picked up everything Harry had told her in his letter – she understood.

She shouldn't be sad. Harry was finally free, just like the professor had said. He was free to live with his family in the afterlife, to get to know his mother and father, to chat to Sirius and Remus, catching up for lost time.

However, she knew that he had made a mistake. He had said there was nothing for him in this world anymore. He was wrong. She glanced over at Ron, who was looking at her with a look of intense thought.

She knew full well what he was doing. He was doing what she had been doing since she first read the letter; re-evaluating feelings. As a look of realisation and sadness crossed his face, she knew her guesses had been confirmed.

Harry had misjudged their feelings for one another. His last minute confession and his letter had opened their eyes to the obvious truth. They did not love each other. Harry had made a huge mistake. She was still here. The woman he loved was still here.

As the wake finished, Ron made a beeline for Hermione, who stood waiting for him with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Hermione, can we talk?" She nodded and they left the Great Hall and entered an empty classroom. Before he could speak, she held up her hand.

"I know what you are going to say Ron; that you…_misinterpreted _your feelings for me and that you want us to remain friends." He blinked in surprise before nodding slowly.

"That's right. I'm sorry Hermione." She laughed coldly.

"It's ok Ron, nothing to be sorry about." She said sarcastically. He turned red in the face and scowled.

"Hey, I'm not the only one who made a cock up here!" He shouted angrily. Her expression turned livid and she snarled.

"No? Well at least my feelings for you didn't come from the petty jealousy of your best friend, did they?" He opened and closed his mouth a few times, while he tried to think of a rebuttal. She snorted and made to leave the room. She stopped just as she was about to leave.

"Oh, and Ron; we are finished. We are not best friends; we are not friends; we are not even acquaintances. As far as I'm concerned, we are done." She left the room and slammed the door behind her.

After making a beeline for the Gryffindor common room, she climbed up the stairs to the boy's dormitory, collapsed onto Harry's bed and began sobbing in grief. Hundreds of questions raced through her mind as she wallowed in her misery.

Why couldn't Harry have spoken to her about his feelings? Why hadn't she seen them earlier? Why hadn't she seen her _own_ feelings toward Harry for what they were?

She realised that she loved Harry back. All the years they had spent together were the best of her life. Without him, her life felt empty and without meaning. She realised her feelings too late. The only person she had ever loved and loved her back lay dead in the Great Hall. Her mind was overcome with despair.

While she cried, she felt the same warm, comforting presence surround her. Her sadness seemed to bleed away as she was cocooned by it and soon her tears stopped. Wriggling under the blankets, she curled up into a ball and sniffed slightly.

Her mind re-engaged and began to assess the situation; her best friend, her love, her reason for being was dead. Without him she had no purpose. Harry had said that she hadn't needed him. He was wrong.

All her life she had been without direction. She spent her time studying and learning because that was all she knew how to do. Harry gave her direction. During his adventures, she felt useful and needed. He gave her a purpose and now he was gone.

While she lay on his bed, she felt a familiar hand running through her hair in a soothing motion. She closed her eyes and smiled as she felt his calloused fingers run across her scalp. As she began to relax, she heard a voice speak.

"_Please don't be sad, Hermione."_ She sat bolt upright and looked around the room.

It was empty. Part of her really thought that when she glanced up she would see Harry smiling at her, while gently caressing her hair. This inspired a new wave of tears. Now her mind was playing cruel tricks on her.

"_Just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not there." _Again she sat up, but this time she smiled.

'He's still looking after me, even when he's gone.' She thought with a smile. A warm feeling pulsed through her, telling her she was right.

She moved herself so that she sat cross legged on his bed and sighed. She couldn't live like this. Even with Harry watching over her, she didn't _want_ to live without him in her life. He was a big part of her. After a moment of thought, she made up her mind.

Picking up Harry's belongings, she got dressed, made her way down the steps into the common room and into the castle.

She had a plan.

* * *

The Great Hall was silent. The moon shone through the stained glass windows, reflected from the enchanted moonlit ceiling. A single ray of light shone on the glass coffin, still on the altar from the wake.

The double doors creaked open and closed again, before a young woman threw off a cloak and crept into the room. She stared at the coffin for a moment, before crossing the flagstone floor to stand beside it. She placed her hand on the glass coffin, feeling its smooth surface under her fingertips.

Drawing her wand, she banished the glass lid and stared for a moment, tears pouring from her eyes. Gently caressing his cheek, her tears splashed on his body, she leant down and placed a kiss on his lips. He was cold; ice cold. But she didn't care.

Climbing into the coffin with him, she curled up to him and cried into his shoulder. She had never felt so alone. When she was younger, she was bullied by her muggle school-mates and had felt abandoned and empty.

Her mother used to read her stories about knights, castles and wizards. She used to listen to them, completely enraptured, loving the happy ending when the knight and the damsel would fall in love and get married.

The only way she was able to live her life was with the hope that one day, her own knight in shining armour would ride up and whisk her away to live in his castle; a man who loved her as she was, the nerdy bushy haired girl.

Here lay that knight.

Her fairy tale dream had turned into a nightmare. It had all gone wrong. This was not how it was meant to be. She couldn't live without him. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small vial, filled with a dark purple liquid. She looked at its contents, tears filling her eyes.

"Wait for me Harry. We'll be together again." She uncorked the vial and swallowed its contents. She closed her eyes and a tear fell down her cheek. "I love you Harry." She whispered.

When the staff entered the Great Hall in the morning, a loud scream reverberated throughout the castle. Minerva McGonagall rushed into the room and saw the cause of the yells. Tears poured down her face and she shook her head.

"What a waste." She whispered in despair.

In the clear, glass coffin, lay Harry with Hermione curled alongside him, a small smile on her face. Her skin was cold and her face pale. She noticed that Filius was about to levitate the body from the coffin.

"Filius," he looked at her, "leave her." He blinked slightly before his eyes softened. With a short nod, he replaced the coffin's lid, leaving the pair together.

In order to allow mourners to pay their respects to Hermione, they postponed the funeral another day. So it was, 7th May 1998, five days after the Battle for Hogwarts, that the bodies of Hermione Granger and Harry Potter were interred into the memorial garden on the grounds of the school.

At the head of their graves stood a stone statue, depicting the two sitting together, holding hands and leaning against the other. They both had a contented smile of their faces as they sat for eternity.

The inscription on the statue was simple:

_**Here Lies:**_

_Harry James Potter _

_July 30__th__ 1980 – May 2__nd__ 1998_

_And_

_Hermione Jane Granger _

_September 19__th__ 1979 – May 6__th__ 1998_

_**Apart In Life, Together In Death **_

For years after their death, witches and wizards from all over the world came to pay homage to the statue of the greatest magical couple of the age.

Harry and Hermione were not only acknowledged as the heroes who won the Second Wizarding War, but as final victims as well.

* * *

There we go! Chapter Two!

Now, Chapter three is offically finished. I hope you enjoyed this one and that you continue to read this story and others!

Please review!

**This is the Quill, signing off!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Reunion.**

Hello my faithful readers!

Now, I'm sure those of you who have followed this story will know, but this will be the final chapter for this story. I have decided, after being swamped with reviews, to continue it as another story. So, this one will remain a three shot. I hope you enjoy and please review!

Without further ado, I present chapter three...

* * *

A cool ocean breeze swept across the landscape, making the grass bend and shift like the waves in the sea; the sky was a serene blue, not a cloud marring its complexion; and an assortment of birds twittered conversationally in the trees.

As she lay in this paradise, she sighed in pure contentment. Her mind was relaxed and completely at ease. As the wind gently brushed the hair from her forehead, her face tingled comfortably, and the warmth of the sunshine made her smile. Her mind was empty of thought as she lay in this tranquil Eden.

But there was something wrong.

That single word, "wrong" filtered through her mind, echoing loudly in the depths of her consciousness. Slowly, her mind began to re-engage with her surroundings and she opened her eyes in confusion.

This land was indeed a utopia; its natural beauty unmarred by neither the wizard nor muggle worlds. But it was wrong; it felt _wrong_. She shouldn't be here. How did she get here? It looked like nowhere she had ever been.

She pushed herself up onto her elbows and scanned her surroundings. It all looked so perfect; too perfect. A dictionary definition of 'paradise'.

Slowly her mind began to dredge up her most recent memories. Chronologically organised images flashed through her thoughts; death of Dumbledore; wedding at the Burrow; Grimmauld Place; the Ministry; Horcrux hunt; Godric's Hollow; Forest of Dean; Gringrotts…Hogwarts…death of Voldemort…celebration…Harry…

Her mind stopped. _Harry_. A strangled sob came from her throat as her mind caught up. Tears streamed down her face as his smiling face flashed before her eyes; his slow descent as he fell backwards; her scream when she saw the speck on the ground…

But there was more; three days' worth of memories which were full of pain and misery; then the final day; the day of Harry's wake…her final day. She remembered walking into the Great Hall, climbing up next to him and drinking the vial…

And then here.

She blinked the tears from her eyes as she looked around once more. Her logical brain screamed as it tried to make sense of her surroundings. Suddenly, it hit her. It seemed obvious now.

She was dead.

The vial was filled with a fast acting poison; completely painless and killed in a matter of minutes. She remembered it was like falling asleep. Clutching Harry's unmoving chest, her eyes slowly shut and she fell asleep, only thinking of seeing him again.

So where was he?

If she was dead, then where was he? In all the stories, a person's family and loved ones were there to meet you when you died. As far as she could tell, there was no one in this paradise but her and the birds.

She turned her gaze to the sea, tears falling from her eyes, listening to the gentle lapping of the waves on the sand. As she listened, the other sounds seemed to die, hearing only the water on the beach; and then, nothing.

The area around her seemed to become silent. There was no noise. Nothing. She closed her eyes, straining her ears to pick up anything.

And there it was.

Soft, crisp footfalls on the grass. They were steadily heading toward her, the meadow parting with a rustle as they advanced. It was melodic; a stable rhythm echoing in the silence around her. As she listened, it suddenly stopped. A breath caught in her throat. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she shivered.

Slowly, her eyes opened and she sat up, keeping her back to the figure. With a deep breath, she pulled herself to her feet and turned around tentatively. As her eyes met the figures, a single tear fell from her eye and journeyed down her cheek.

There he stood.

As he looked at her, his emerald eyes glistened with warmth and love, although there was an underlying sadness in them; his raven black hair was blown around gently by the noiseless wind; he was wearing a thin cotton shirt with matching shorts, standing barefoot; and a lopsided smile graced his features.

She stood there for a minute, staring unbelievingly, drinking in his features as if he would be cruelly snatched away once more. But he didn't fade and he didn't move. The gentle wind rustled his clothes and hair but he remained motionless, hands in his pockets, staring back at her lovingly.

Finally, she broke the silence with a single word.

"Hey." That was all she could say. She sifted through her mind, trying to find a more appropriate response, but there wasn't one. Harry's smile grew even wider and tears fell down his face.

"Hi." He replied, his voice thick with emotion.

With the one word greetings out of the way, neither moved a muscle. They stood, staring at their counterpart, unmoving. Finally, with a light sob, tears streaming down her face, she ran at him with wild abandon.

Stretching his arms wide, he caught her and held her tight, spinning her around him in pure joy. She laughed in delight as he span her, their eyes never leaving each other. Putting her back on the ground, their arms still encircling the other, they leaned forward in tandem; their lips meeting in a joy felt reunion.

After a moment, they broke apart breathlessly and leant their foreheads together enjoying the closeness in this tender moment. She felt as though there was so much she wanted to say, but her words escaped her.

While she thought, Harry pulled away and cupped her face with his gentle hands, stroking her cheek with a calloused thumb. He smiled tearfully, his eyes twinkling with joy as he held her once more. Leaning forward, he kissed her softly before saying four words.

"I love you Hermione." She returned his smile two fold and held him tightly, before whispering in his ear.

"I love you too."

They sat side by side on the grass, holding each other loosely, heads leaning together as they looked out across the beach and out to sea.

With those four words, all the sadness, grief, misery and anger which had plagued the end of their lives were banished, fading away from their minds.

They were together again.

Nothing else mattered.

* * *

Thank you for reading.

This story has been one of my favourites and I'm glad its finished. It may not be much, but it took a lot to write and I'm very proud of it. Now, this story will be continued as another fic 'Rebirth: A Second Chance.' Please have a look if you get the chance!

Please review!

**This is the Quill, signing off!**


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